How Long Does Meth Stay in Your System?
Just how long does meth stay in your system? Read on to find out the answer to that question along with the symptoms of meth addiction.
What Is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II substance in the US, and more than two million Americans routinely use it. Several tests can detect meth for up to three months after a user's last usage.1
Methamphetamine is an extremely potent stimulant substance. You can get meth in powder form, crystal, or tablet form.2
Pseudoephedrine and other harmful compounds, including acetone, fertilizer (anhydrous ammonia), and lithium, are used to create meth, along with other substances found in over-the-counter cold remedies.3
How Long Is a Meth High?
Injecting meth is the most common method of taking the drug, as it is often the quickest way of creating the high that the body craves. Instead of a quick high, those using meth might experience a long-lasting high, generally accompanied by an increase in physical activity that can last up to half a day instead of only a few minutes. An immensely delightful feeling known as a "rush" or "flash" occurs when one takes meth.4
When using meth, the duration of the effects may range from eight hours to a full day for some people. However, it also depends on factors such as the dosage, the time of day, and the route of administration (intravenous, oral, or smoking). It also depends on the state of the user's kidneys, liver, and other factors unique to each person. The meth effects on the heart are often disastrous if used over a long period of time.
The Half-Life of Methamphetamine
The half-life of methamphetamine is the measure of how long it takes your body to remove half of the quantity of meth consumed. Meth has a half-life of nine hours to a day. In other words, it takes nine to twenty-four hours for your blood meth level to be halved and for the high to start to wear off.
Factors Influencing How Long Meth Remains in Your Blood
You may detect meth use in various ways, and a range of variables might affect the results of a detection test.
Urine
This diagnostic technique is the most commonly used since it is reasonably fast and non-invasive. The client on the test urinates into a cup, which is subsequently examined to ascertain the concentrations of various chemicals.
Blood
Meth may be found in the bloodstream for up to twenty-five hours after the previous use, based on its half-life.
Saliva
A tongue or mouth swab containing an absorbent substance is used for saliva testing. Saliva tests have a detection window up to two days after the previous usage.
Hair
Meth may be found employing hair testing. Meth consumed up to ninety days earlier may be detected in only a few-inch-long sample of the user's hair.
Factors Which Affect How Long Methamphetamine Stays in Your System
The only way to guarantee a negative drug test is to refrain from taking meth and other drugs, even if many variables may affect how long meth remains in your system.
The following variables might affect the effects and concentrations of methamphetamine:
Given the conditions mentioned earlier, it is difficult to predict precisely how long methamphetamine will last in your system.
Effects of Meth
Meth enhances the brain's ability to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is essential for the motivation, movement of the body, and reward-seeking. It acts as a stimulant for the central nervous system (CNS).
Roughly five minutes after snorting meth, or fifteen to thirty minutes after ingesting meth, users begin to experience the effects. Meth's effects often unfold in a three-staged pattern as follows:
The Rush
Dopamine fills your brain at the start of the "rush" feeling. It typically takes around half an hour for the process to end.
The High
For the next four to sixteen hours, the user will be high. Quickened speech, enhanced awareness, compulsive conduct, and rapid thought processes are all signs that someone is feeling the effects of the drug.
The Crash
Meth users may start to "tweak" after the effects of the drug wear off. Symptoms of withdrawal might now begin to occur at this stage. Insomnia and itchiness are possible side effects at this stage.
Short-Term Impacts
The short-term effects of meth include:
Long-Term Impacts
The long-term effects of methamphetamine include:
Drug Testing for Meth
This substance lingers in your bloodstream for a significantly longer period of time than its typical high period. Several variables influence how much and how frequently you use meth.
The more methamphetamine you consume, the longer it takes for the body to clean out the toxins. For meth detection, the method of testing is equally important. Different tests have varying meth detection periods.
Urine Test
Methamphetamine can be found in the urine for up to a week after your last dosage. It normally starts to be present in your urine between two to five hours of consumption.
Blood Test
A meth blood test may detect meth usage within two hours of taking the drug and for up to three days after the last dosage has been taken.6
Saliva Test
Saliva samples can be tested for meth ten minutes after consumption and four days after the last dosage.
Hair Test
A hair follicle test can determine whether or not someone has used meth during the last three months.
How to Get Meth Out of Your System
Because methamphetamine has to be digested by your liver before it exits the system, there is little you can do to flush meth out of the system after you have consumed it.
However, avoiding additional usage can prevent more substances from accumulating in the bloodstream, allowing your liver time to eliminate the substance. Nevertheless, discontinuing meth abruptly, particularly after long-term usage, may trigger withdrawal effects.
Methamphetamine Withdrawal and Detox
Meth withdrawal may create a range of serious symptoms, including:
How Long do Meth Withdrawal Symptoms Last?
Most methamphetamine withdrawal symptoms persist between seven to fourteen days. However, mental withdrawal symptoms, such as decision-making issues, might linger over the long term.
You may think the cold turkey route is the fastest way to get meth out of your system, but it's not the best idea to detox from meth in the privacy of one's own home. Psychological withdrawal symptoms like paranoid delusions and disorganized thinking can be challenging and unsafe to handle at home.
Visit Anew Treatment Center for Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment
Meth’s effects on the heart, liver, and other organs are real. Do not hesitate to seek professional help if you or a loved one is suffering from meth addiction. You may contact a treatment clinic like a reputed Anew Treatment Center for a discreet assessment. We will be with you every step of the way towards your journey to recovery.
Resources
- https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/what-scope-methamphetamine-misuse-in-united-states
- https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/how-methamphetamine-manufactured
- https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/methamphetamine
- https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/methamphetamine/how-methamphetamine-misused
- https://fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/sites/fcs-hes.ca.uky.edu/files/heel-ssb-405.pdf
- https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=amphetamine_blood_screen
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